News
Galapagos Islands & Fish Faces: The April NUPG Meeting
On the second Monday of each month the Northern Underwater Photography Group meet for a curry at the Gurkha Grill, followed by a meeting from 8-10pm to discuss all things underwater photography.
This month those attending were treated to a talk from Josef Litt about the Galapagos Islands. Josef has recently published a book on the islands and so had been invited to speak to the group, focusing on the diving and underwater photography. Each month there is also a competition for members and this month the theme was Fish Face(s).
Josef kicked off the meeting and started by talking about the geography, history and creation of the marine reserve in the Galapagos. He moved on to discuss the best ways to dive the islands, with liveaboard options for Wolf and Darwin Islands, whilst also suggesting an island snorkelling tour to get some of the more unusual and rewarding shots.
His marine life images often made the audience gasp, with outstanding photos of whalesharks, eagle rays, schooling hammerhead sharks, marine iguanas, Mola mola, sealions, penguins, turtles and birds. Josef also discussed the underwater photography conditions, with cool water, plenty of current and what he describes as low visibility, although when pushed, said it was 10-15m – which is pretty good in our books!
Josef’s talk was full of essential information and packed with funny anecdotes and was one of the most enjoyable we have been to. He clearly has a wealth of knowledge about these islands and a love of them too. His book is beautiful and we look forward to reviewing it for Scubaverse later in the month.
The Fish Face competition saw a drop in the usual number of entries, perhaps due to many members being away on Easter holidays. The winner was a gorgeous and funny portrait of a UK shanny by Elaine White. Nick Robertson-Brown took second place with his gaping Basking Shark shot from Cornwall. It was great to see UK species featuring so highly. The compact winner was Keith Major with his image of a scorpionfish in the Red Sea.
The next event for the NUPG is the Spring Warm-Up at Capernwray on the 28th April. This will be an informal meet up for any underwater photographers that would like to attend, take some photos and discuss how to improve as the UK season gets into full swing.
For more information about the Northern Underwater Photography Group please click here.
Gear News
Scubapro Free Octopus Promotion 2024
Free Octopus with every purchase of a SCUBAPRO regulator system
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More information available on www.scubapro.com.
Blogs
Northern Red Sea Reefs and Wrecks Trip Report, Part 3: The Mighty Thistlegorm
Jake Davies boards Ghazala Explorer for an unforgettable Red Sea diving experience…
Overnight, the wind picked up, making the planned morning dive a bit bumpy on the Zodiacs to the drop point on Thomas Reef. There, we would dive along the reef before descending through the canyon and then passing under the arch before ascending the wall with a gentle drift. The site provided great encounters with more pelagic species, including shoals of large barracuda, tuna, and bigeye trevally.
Once back on the boat, it was time to get everything tied down again as we would head back south. This time, with the wind behind us, heading to Ras Mohammed to dive Jackfish Alley for another great gentle drift wall dive before then heading up the coast towards the Gulf of Suez to moor up at the wreck of the Thistlegorm. This being the highlight wreck dive of the trip and for many onboard, including myself, it was the first time diving this iconic wreck. I had heard so much about the wreck from friends, and globally, this is a must on any diver’s list. Fortunately for us, there was only one other boat at the site, which was a rarity. A great briefing was delivered by Ahmed, who provided a detailed background about the wreck’s history along with all the required safety information as the currents and visibility at the site can be variable.
Kitting up, there was a lot of excitement on deck before entering the water and heading down the shoreline. Descending to the wreck, there was a light northerly current which reduced the visibility, making it feel more like the conditions that can be found off the Welsh coast. At 10m from the bottom, the outline of the wreck appeared as we reached the area of the wreck which had been bombed, as our mooring line was attached to part of the propeller shaft. Arriving on deck, instantly everywhere you looked there were many of the supplies which the ship was carrying, including Bren Carrier tanks and projectiles that instantly stood out.
We headed around the exterior, taking a look at the large propeller and guns mounted on deck before entering the wreck on the port side to take a look in the holds. It was incredible to see all the trucks, Norton 16H, and BSA motorcycles still perfectly stacked within, providing a real snapshot in time.
Overall, we had four dives on the Thistlegorm, where for all of the dives we were the only group in the water, and at times, there were just three of us on the whole wreck, which made it even more special, especially knowing that most days the wreck has hundreds of divers. Along with the history of the wreck, there was plenty of marine life on the wreck and around, from big green turtles to batfish, along with shoals of mackerel being hunted by trevally. Some unforgettable dives.
The final leg of the trip saw us cross back over the Suez Canal to the Gobal Islands where we planned to stay the night and do three dives at the Dolphin House for the potential of sharing the dive with dolphins. The site, which included a channel that was teeming with reef fish, especially large numbers of goatfish that swam in large shoals along the edge of the reef. These were nice relaxing dives to end the week. Unfortunately, the dolphins didn’t show up, which was okay as like all marine life they are difficult to predict and you can’t guarantee what’s going to be seen. With the last dive complete, we headed back to port for the final night where it was time to clean all the kit and pack before the departure flight the next day.
The whole week from start to finish on Ghazala Explorer was amazing; the boat had all the facilities you need for a comfortable week aboard. The crew were always there to help throughout the day and the chefs providing top quality food which was required after every dive. The itinerary providing some of the best diving with a nice mixture of wreck and reef dives. I would recommend the trip to anyone, whether it’s your first Red Sea liveaboard in the Red Sea or you’re revisiting. Hopefully, it’s not too long before I head back to explore more of the Red Sea onboard Ghazala Explorer.
To find out more about the Northern Red Sea reef and wrecks itineraries aboard Ghazala Explorer, or to book, contact Scuba Travel now:
Email: dive@scubatravel.com
Tel: +44 (0)1483 411590
Photos: Jake Davies / Avalon.Red
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